Hotworx is on a 'disciplined' rollout with 700 locations expected by October and overseas expansion on the cards, founder Stephen P Smith has told HCM.

Speaking in this month’s edition of the magazine, Smith says the chain – which counted 673 locations in July – is a concept which can work in low footprint areas.

He's identified 2,300 small towns in the US with a population of 10,000 to 50,000 where he believes a studio would be viable.

"We want to develop into all of the markets and neighbourhoods in the US,” says Smith. “We have one franchise owner in Seminole, Texas who runs a profitable business in a town of 7,000 people, proving it can work in an area with a smaller population.

“Planet Fitness stated in its annual report this year that it believes it can have 5,000 sites in the United States, which is one location for every 70,000 people," he says, "so we feel our aspiration to have one location for every 100,000 people is very reasonable.”

In addition to growth in the US, the company is also in talks to develop the business in the UK and Germany, according to Smith.

The Hotworx concept was launched in 2017. It involves 30-minute virtual workouts in infrared saunas for up to three people with a choice of rowing, cycling, isometric exercise, HIIT workouts, yoga, Pilates and barre. The studios also offer a resistance training area which isn’t heated.

Smith said the concept navigated the pandemic relatively unscathed as it was easy to offer individual workouts and social distancing, while it was widely reported that heat kills the COVID virus.

The concept is now riding off the back of the infrared boom which has a number of proven health benefits, including decreasing inflammation, dilating capillaries to increase the supply of oxygen and speeding up the metabolism.

Having grown out of hot yoga the core audience is 30-something females.

Read the full story in this month's issue of HCM here.